Weekly Roundup: Snapchat’s new Specs, Beyoncé is a tech investor and SpaceX’s plans to colonize Mars

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This week, Elon Musk revealed SpaceX’s plan for humans to inhabit Mars, Google rebranded its cloud services and rumors swirled about a Twitter bid. These are the top stories of the week, and you can also receive them in your inbox.

8. Where will AI lead us in the future? Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft came together to launch the new Partnership on AI. The alliance was formed for the purpose of conducting research and promoting best practices when it comes to advancements in artificial intelligence.

9. This year, ClassPass jacked up its prices from a $100 monthly payment to a $180 monthly payment, at its highest, marking the first wave of doubt over its new-found business model. Following the price hike, the company lost 10 percent of its user base, but it was also the price that had to be paid to get ClassPass back to profitability. Here’s where the company is now.

10. New tech-backed voting initiatives seem to be popping up on the daily, and Silicon Valley is ready to spend. But will VC-funded registration apps and big-dollar donations really change the course of this election?

11. Contractors are preparing to boycott online grocery service Instacart over the elimination of tips. The new payment structure is meeting criticism because it will eliminate tips, but guarantee a delivery commission. Only the full-service shoppers (contractors) are affected.